Jerusalem is besieged – 4th Book of Kings, chapter 25

Jerusalem is besieged and taken by Nabuchodonosor: Sedecias is taken: the city and temple are destroyed. Godolias, who is left governor, is slain. Joachin is exalted by Evilmerodach.

[1] And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came, he and all his army against Jerusalem: and they surrounded it: and raised works round about it. [2] And the city was shut up and besieged till the eleventh year of king Sedecias, [3] The ninth day of the month: and a famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. [4] And a breach was made into the city: and all the men of war fled in the night between the two walls by the king’s garden, (now the Chaldees besieged the city round about,) and Sedecias fled by the way that leadeth to the plains of the wilderness. [5] And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all the warriors that were with him were scattered, and left him:

[6] So they took the king, and brought him to the king of Babylon to Reblatha, and he gave judgment upon him. [7] And he slew the sons of Sedecias before his face, and he put out his eyes, and bound him with chains, and brought him to Babylon. [8] In the fifth month, the seventh day of the month, that is, the nineteenth year of the king of Babylon, came Nabuzardan commander of the army, a servant of the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem. [9] And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and the houses of Jerusalem, and every house he burnt with fire. [10] And all the army of the Chaldees, which was with the commander of the troops, broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

[11] And Nabuzardan the commander of the army, carried away the rest of the people that remained in the city, and the fugitives that had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the remnant of the common people. [12] But of the poor of the land he left some dressers of vines and husbandmen. [13] And the pillars of brass that were in the temple of the Lord, and the bases, and the sea of brass which was in the house of the Lord, the Chaldees broke in pieces, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. [14] They took away also the pots of brass, and the mazers, and the forks, and the cups, and the mortars, and all the vessels of brass with which they ministered. [15] Moreover also the censers, and the bowls, such as were of gold in gold, and such as were of silver in silver, the general of the army took away.

[16] That is, two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made in the temple of the Lord: the brass of all these vessels was without weight. [17] One pillar was eighteen cubits high, and the chapiter of brass which was upon it was three cubits high: and the network, and the pomegranates that were upon the chapiter of the pillar, were all of brass: and the second pillar had the like adorning. [18] And the general of the army took Seraias the chief priest, and Sophonias the second priest, and three doorkeepers. [19] And out of the city one eunuch, who was captain over the men of war: and five men of them that had stood before the king, whom he found in the city, and Sopher the captain of the army who exercised the young soldiers of the people of the land: and threescore men of the common people, who were found in the city. [20] These Nabuzardan the general of the army took away, and carried them to the king of Babylon to Reblatha.

[21] And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Reblatha in the land of Emath: so Juda was carried away out of their land. [22] But over the people that remained in the land of Juda, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had left, he gave the government to Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan. [23] And when all the captains of the soldiers had heard this, they and the men that were with them, to wit, that the king of Babylon had made Godolias governor, they came to Godolias to Maspha, Ismael the son of Nathanias, and Johanan the son of Caree, and Saraia the son of Thanehumeth the Netophathite, and Jezonias the son of Maachathi, they and their men. [24] And Godolias swore to them and to their men, saying: Be not afraid to serve the Chaldees: stay in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. [25] But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ismael the son of Nathanias, the son of Elisama of the seed royal came, and ten men with him: and smote Godolias so that he died: and also the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him in Maspha.

[26] And all the people both little and great, and the captains of the soldiers, rising up went to Egypt, fearing the Chaldees. [27] And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Joachin king of Juda, in the twelfth month the seven and twentieth day of the month: Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lifted up the head of Joachin king of Juda out of prison. [28] And he spoke kindly to him: and he set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon. [29] And he changed his garments which he had in prison, and he ate bread always before him, all the days of his life. [30] And he appointed him a continual allowance, which was also given him by the king day by day, all the days of his life.

Note: Books III and IV of Kings, in some versions of the Bible are called Books I and II of Kings, since the two books that precede them are sometimes called Books of Samuel. These four books of kings continuously recount the historical events they relate, so it is useful to consider them as a group of 4 consecutive books.